Kansas
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by: Glenn Haussman.
The seemingly endless rollout of gaming in the United States is continuing in the heart of the country; Kansas. With the state getting set to issue casino licenses next year, competitors are lining up for an extremely lucrative piece of the action.
In Kansas there are three boards that are taking submissions for three planned casinos in the state’s Wyandotte County. They must submit their endorsements on projects to the Kansas Lottery Commission before the end of the year.

Last June, state voters gave the casinos a hearty thumb’s up. Now the cycle is in motion to select who will get to open.

The most aggressive bidder is Las Vegas Sands Corporation (NYSE: LVS). If it gets a license, the company plans to utilize a 56-acre site to build a monstrous 185,000 square foot casino. Many Las Vegas mega resorts have between 100,000 to 130,000 square feet of gaming space. The company also plans to build a 300-room hotel, 206,000 square feet of retail space, 70,000 square feet of food and beverage, 120,000 square feet of multipurpose space and 6,000 parking spaces.

Las Vegas Sands Corporation President/CEO William P. Weidner told the Daily Kansan the company has been targeting Kansas City for a long time. “The entire metropolitan area of Kansas City has been on our radar for decades,” Weidner told the Kansan. “There has been action with gaming going on there for years.”

Meanwhile, Pinnacle Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: PNK) submitted a proposal for a new gaming entertainment complex to be located at one of two potential sites it controls in Kansas City, Kansas. The development would cost about $300 million.

Pinnacle's proposed entertainment resort features a 100,000-square-foot casino, as well as a 500-guestroom hotel consisting of 200 luxury guestrooms and 300 upscale guestrooms. An array of restaurants and lounges ranging from gourmet to casual dining will enhance the experience, along with a mix of retail shops. A center-island performance stage and nightclub will bring color and excitement to the atmosphere. A full-service spa and salon will offer guests and locals a relaxing escape. The gaming complex anchors a 100,000-square-foot convention center, which includes a 50,000-square-foot venue for concerts and live events. The convention center will draw conventions, meetings and exhibitions from throughout the region and the country, helping to define Wyandotte County as a high-profile regional destination.

"Our Kansas City project will introduce a new level of gaming entertainment to the Kansas City metropolitan area," said Daniel R. Lee, Pinnacle Entertainment's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "This represents a unique opportunity to enhance the substantial destination development that already exists in Kansas City, Kansas. Pinnacle has the expertise, vision and financial strength to create a highly successful gaming destination development.

RED Development also got into the game with its own entry, this one was delivered as a three phase development program. Phase one would cost $770 million and include 2,000 slot machines and 85 table games in the casino, as well as a 350 room hotel and a golf course. Additional phases would add up to 1,500 more slot machines, 35 table games and 650 more hotel rooms.

KS&F’s plan includes a 95,000 square-foot casino floor; a 45,000 square-foot restaurant; 14,000 square feet of retail space; 300 hotel rooms (plus an additional 250 in a second phase); a convention center, theater and fitness center and spa, each totaling about 20,000 square feet; and 1,136 surface parking spaces plus a parking garage to accommodate another 3,063 cars. It’s the smallest of all the proposals.

The Kansas Speedway-Cordish Company is looking to spend upwards of $600 million on their project. As of now details are slim on the scope of the project. 

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